Search - 2015

 
 
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 13, 2018

Abe strikes a 'Belt and Road' balancing act

Tokyo is engaging in Beijing's BRI while also hedging its bets through similar initiatives with other partners.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Nov 12, 2018

Yuki Yanagita makes major impression on MLB All-Stars

If there was one standout talent from the first half of the six-game Japan All-Star Series, it was without a doubt Yuki Yanagita.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 12, 2018

Jewish human rights group blasts K-pop band BTS over A-bomb T-shirt and hats with Nazi logo

A leading Jewish human rights group has denounced popular K-pop band BTS, whose live performance on Japanese TV was canceled last week, over a T-shirt mocking victims of the atomic bombing of Japan while also claiming that a photo shoot had shown them wearing hats with a Nazi logo.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 11, 2018

Former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Sonoda dies of pneumonia at 76

Hiroyuki Sonoda, a Lower House lawmaker who once served as deputy chief Cabinet secretary and acting policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, dies of pneumonia aged 76.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Nov 10, 2018

Japan's news outlets weigh in on Jumpei Yasuda's culpability in Syria kidnapping

Freelance reporter Jumpei Yasuda gave a three-hour news conference at the Japan National Press Club on Nov. 2 about his hostage ordeal, describing in detail how he was kidnapped after entering Syria in 2015 and then held for more than three years. He also discussed the situation in the Middle East and...
Japan Times
Figure Skating
Nov 10, 2018

Shoma Uno, Rika Kihira earn NHK Trophy titles

Olympic and world silver medalist Shoma Uno won the NHK Trophy on Saturday night with a solid performance in the men's free skate.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 10, 2018

U.S. ends refueling support for Saudi coalition aircraft in Yemen conflict

Saudi Arabia and the United States have agreed to end U.S. refueling of aircraft from the Saudi-led coalition battling Houthi insurgents in Yemen, ending a divisive aspect of U.S. support to a war that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine.
Japan Times
Figure Skating
Nov 9, 2018

Shoma Uno, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva own slim leads after NHK Trophy short programs

Olympic and world silver medalist Shoma Uno holds a slim lead following the short program at the NHK Trophy on Friday night.
Japan Times
JAPAN / YEN FOR LIVING
Nov 9, 2018

Effort to nudge Japan to go cashless with offsets to sales tax hike faces many hurdles

On Oct. 15, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe confirmed during an extraordinary Cabinet meeting that the government would raise the consumption tax from 8 to 10 percent next Oct. 1. The tax hike has already been postponed twice owing to jitters over how it might affect consumption. The last consumption tax increase,...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 9, 2018

Department store Takashimaya joins new venture in Bangkok as it looks beyond traditional domestic sales model

Boxed in by a shrinking domestic market and consumer preferences shifting toward online shopping, the only way for Japanese department stores — as well as the broader retail sector — to survive is to get a slice of fast growing markets overseas, especially in neighboring countries.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Nov 8, 2018

Jail in Japan for cannabis in Canada? Possible but unlikely

Possession and receipt of marijuana are illegal for Japanese citizens even overseas, but don't expect urine checks at immigration.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 8, 2018

Democrats warn Trump after Attorney General Sessions forced out

The ouster of Attorney General Jeff Sessions by President Donald Trump on Wednesday drew sharp criticism from Democrats, who warned Trump against moving to squash a probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 7, 2018

Japanese buzzwords of 2018 nominees reflect myriad influences and issues

Thirty candidates for buzzword of the year, announced Wednesday, highlight the numerous scandals that rocked Japan's amateur sports, the brutal summer of natural disasters as well as the country's response to the worldwide #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 7, 2018

SoftBank IPO seeks $18 billion from retail investors

SoftBank Group Corp. is seeking to raise a record ¥2 trillion ($18 billion) from Japanese individuals in the initial public offering of its mobile phone unit, targeting investors who often get no interest on their savings, sources have said.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 7, 2018

How a Democratic U.S. House could alter foreign policy

Democrats will use their new majority in the U.S. House of Representatives to reverse what they see as a hands-off approach by Republicans toward President Donald Trump's foreign policy, and push for tougher dealings with Russia, Saudi Arabia and North Korea.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 6, 2018

U.S. Supreme Court ends fight over Obama-era net neutrality rules by not taking up repeal bid

The legal fight over a 2016 lower court ruling upholding Obama-era net neutrality regulations aimed at ensuring a free and open internet — rules that have since been repealed by President Donald Trump's administration — came to a formal end on Monday, with the U.S. Supreme Court declining to take...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 5, 2018

Seoul moves the goalposts yet again

If the South Koreans remain obsessed with the past and do not respect the rule-based international system, they are committing international political suicide.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 5, 2018

Why the latest American sanctions on Iran will fail

Trump's strategy is likely to increase Middle East tensions — and unlikely to bring the U.S. closer to achieving its goals on Iran.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 5, 2018

To what extent will Japan's 2014 downturn repeat with the new tax hike?

The wallets of Japanese residents may get a little lighter next year, as the prices of most goods and services are set to rise under a new consumption tax system starting in October 2019.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 5, 2018

Faced with worker shortage, Japan reshapes its legendary hospitality

Japan's capital expenditure boom is shifting to the services sector, stirring fears that self-checkout systems and software will take the human touch out of omotenashi, the country's vaunted commitment to hospitality.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2018

Malicious descriptions about North and South Korean groups temporarily displayed on Google Maps

Malicious descriptions, such as one targeting the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, or Chongryon, were displayed temporarily on Google Maps, it was learned Sunday.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat